In games played during the weekend of June 11-13, Spider-Man 2 movie logos will appear on first, second and third base, plus the pitching rubber, in a deal between the movie studio and MLB, according to today's Wall Street Journal.
Should we start a pool for the date MLB uniforms will look like NASCAR outfits?
Full Version: On the mound and on the bases...Spider-Man!
I'm not one of those baseball purists, but even I don't like this idea.
And what do you want to bet that the stars of the movie will attend at least one of those games and be be featured beyond all belief on the broadcasts. Maybe the players can wear Spiderman's costume instead of their uniform--trade in Yankee pinstrips for Spidey's web-stripes.
~Adam
~Adam
I think it sounds kinda cool.
I don't want them to start wearing endorsment patches like NASCAR and tennis pros, but Spidey on the bases in a cute, creative idea.
I don't want them to start wearing endorsment patches like NASCAR and tennis pros, but Spidey on the bases in a cute, creative idea.
How long before the league is filed with a grievance for the undue anxiety suffered by players & umps with arachnophobia? 
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Adam:
Maybe the players can wear Spiderman's costume instead of their uniform--trade in Yankee pinstrips for Spidey's web-stripes.
I can think of a few pro players I'd like to see in Spidey's tights. Maybe the players can wear Spiderman's costume instead of their uniform--trade in Yankee pinstrips for Spidey's web-stripes.
Oops...better post this on HotJockTalk. 
"Foam fingers and masks with the "Spider-Man 2" logo will be given away at select ballparks."
I don't see how the logo on the bases will be that noticeable to anyone other than the players themselves. I think this idea may flop like the patches on the jockey's pants at the Kentucky Derby.
According to SI.com, "The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will get more than $100,000 each, one team executive said, also on condition of anonymity. Most other 13 teams that are home that weekend will get about $50,000 apiece, the executive said."
[ May 05, 2004, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]
I don't see how the logo on the bases will be that noticeable to anyone other than the players themselves. I think this idea may flop like the patches on the jockey's pants at the Kentucky Derby.
According to SI.com, "The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will get more than $100,000 each, one team executive said, also on condition of anonymity. Most other 13 teams that are home that weekend will get about $50,000 apiece, the executive said."
[ May 05, 2004, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]
Um, why are the Yankees and BoSox getting more?
Jeez, as if the virtual ads behind the plate weren't annoying enough. I say we boycott the Spider-Man sequel. Not that I'd be seeing it anyway - I didn't like the first one, or (except for The Crow) comic book movies in general.
Whaddaya say - De-lovely, a musical drama about Cole Porter starring Kevin Kline, opens the Friday before SM2. I say we organize a grassroots campaign to make it the number one movie over the July 4 weekend. It could happen, right? Right?
Jeez, as if the virtual ads behind the plate weren't annoying enough. I say we boycott the Spider-Man sequel. Not that I'd be seeing it anyway - I didn't like the first one, or (except for The Crow) comic book movies in general.
Whaddaya say - De-lovely, a musical drama about Cole Porter starring Kevin Kline, opens the Friday before SM2. I say we organize a grassroots campaign to make it the number one movie over the July 4 weekend. It could happen, right? Right?
speaking of this, I was watching a game featuring the Kansas City Royals. There was a blue screen behind home plate for advertisements for TV audiences, and with their blue jerseys, the Royals became the invisible men, especially the pitcher. It was very distracting, and comical.
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I'm not one of those baseball purists
I am! What a pathetic idea. As if all those "stars" from Fox shows "mysteriously" showing up at World Series games wasn't bad enough.The end of Western Civilization is very, very near.
A-f**king-men, Jim A.!!!
The end IS near. I'm heading for the bunker now. (Just don't tell that GatorJamie chick. )
The end IS near. I'm heading for the bunker now. (Just don't tell that GatorJamie chick.
)
What's most idiotic about the whole thing is how cheap Sony is getting the ads.
I think I read somewhere (can't find it now) that it was less than $4 million dollars. Of course, they're actually getting much more publicity from the press "outrage" than they would be from the the actual SpideyBags.
More lessons in business acumen from the geniuses at MLB.
I think I read somewhere (can't find it now) that it was less than $4 million dollars. Of course, they're actually getting much more publicity from the press "outrage" than they would be from the the actual SpideyBags.
More lessons in business acumen from the geniuses at MLB.
Well, it's much ado about nothing. Spiderman can go f**k off:
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Spider-Man ads on bases didn't fly with baseball fans. A day after announcing a novel promotion to put advertisements on bases next month, Major League Baseball reversed course Thursday and eliminated that part of its marketing deal for Spider-Man 2.
\"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about,\" commissioner Bud Selig said in Oakland before the Yankees-Athletics game. \"I'm a traditionalist,\" he said. \"The problem in sports marketing, particularly in baseball, is you're always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do.\"
After Selig and others heard the backlash, Spider-Man got picked off base. \"The bases were an extremely small part of this program,\" said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. \"However, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fan's experience in any way.\"
What a bunch of total, utter twats the people that run baseball are. Their cluelessness knows no bounds. Why they thought that some 14-year old was going to go "Hey, Spiderman was on second base at the Mariners game last night, I'm going to bug my parents to go to a game" is beyond me.
\"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about,\" commissioner Bud Selig said in Oakland before the Yankees-Athletics game. \"I'm a traditionalist,\" he said. \"The problem in sports marketing, particularly in baseball, is you're always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do.\"
After Selig and others heard the backlash, Spider-Man got picked off base. \"The bases were an extremely small part of this program,\" said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. \"However, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fan's experience in any way.\"
The most amazing part of your whole post, Jim, is Selig's statement, "Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do."
There's no way he could have said that with a straight face. What a dick. :mad:
There's no way he could have said that with a straight face. What a dick. :mad:
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Under the original plan, red-and-yellow ads were to appear on bases -- but not home plate -- during games from June 11-13. The plan began to crumble Wednesday night when the New York Yankees said they would only allow the ads on bases during batting practice -- and only for one game that weekend.
See? The Yankees aren't evil. I expect a gracious show of appreciation towards Mr. Steinbrenner for using his powers for good in this case. 
I am SOOO glad this stupid idea has gone away. The first thing I thought of when I heard it was that old manager's trick of kicking dirt at an umpire for a bad call, only changing it a bit to cover up the bases instead. Would the corporations now really show some class and remove their names from the various ballparks they've tacked them onto over the years?
From this column:
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Show me a ballpark in America without an advertising sign and I'll show you a marketing director about to be out of work. The business of baseball used to be about breaking even. Now, it's about making payroll. And with teams paying the kind of money the Phillies are earning to perform theater of the absurd, you take the revenue stream where you can find it. Just try not to get any on your shoes.
Bear that in mind the next time this - or something like it - comes up. And it will come up. This time, baseball wasn't going to catch all this flak for what would have amounted to about $100,000 a club. The Phils spend that much a week to replace lost batting practice balls.
Bear that in mind the next time this - or something like it - comes up. And it will come up. This time, baseball wasn't going to catch all this flak for what would have amounted to about $100,000 a club. The Phils spend that much a week to replace lost batting practice balls.
In the end Sony won anyway with publicity about the film that cost them nothing. I really think these marketing guys know that publicity and controversy raises awareness of their product whether they get what they ask for or not. It's a win win for them.
[ May 07, 2004, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]
[ May 07, 2004, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]
I think those who see no difference between the Spiderman promotion and other advertising displayed around the field miss an important distinction. The Spiderman stuff was going to be on the field--on the bases themselves--instead of on the outfield walls ("Gap" ads on the wall of the gap, "Big Mac Land" in StLouis, etc.) The field itself is still sacrosanct to many purists; the small manufacturer logo on players' uniforms can still get an argument from these sorts!
~Adam
~Adam
These people are not thinking out of the box. Instead of a stupid logo on the bases, we could have Spiderman himself on the field. Maybe he could swing over the infield after each strikeout? No, even better, he could swing between decks during the seventh inning stretch. No, wait! He can race the with the sausages in Milwaukee.
timber, I, for one, would love to have Tobey Maguire play with me.
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